Awkward
by CarlaPeterLove
Summary: It's Christmas Eve and Peter has promised Simon he'll be home for Christmas, which leaves pretty much everyone sceptical about whether he'll actually turn up… Well almost everyone... Who is this person and does Peter actually make it back to Weatherfield to spend Christmas with his son?


**_This was supposed to be up on Xmas Eve but I've been ridiculously busy due to going on a little trip for the festive period._**

 ** _Anywho as you may already know, I heart Simon and Carla and I think it's a crime they aren't shown together at all anymore, so I wrote this little oneshot last week… enjoy and review._**

* * *

It was Christmas Eve and Simon Barlow woke up to a street covered in snow. He couldn't believe his eyes when he looked out of the window and saw that the once grey and dismal looking cobbles were now a bright white colour. It was only a little bit of snow of course but it was enough to make the street look like a real Winter Wonderland.

He couldn't believe his eyes and had to blink twice to make sure what he could see was real...

A Christmas miracle perhaps?

Well if it was a Christmas miracle, then Simon hoped that they came in twos because today he was hoping that there would be another one.

He was hoping that his Dad would actually keep his word and make it back to Weatherfield in time for Christmas Day.

Simon got up in a rather agitated mood due to the fact that his Dad wasn't the most reliable man in the world and he hoped that today would go off without a hitch. He got dressed instantly and once dressed he'd texted his Dad to ask if he was on his way, sure enough Peter replied back with an

 _"_ _Of course!"_

Simon practically cheered when he read the message, he had made plans to go out with his mates for the morning so at least that distracted him for a few hours but as he made his way back to Coronation Street and as the afternoon went on, he was beginning to get seriously worried that his Dad wouldn't come after all.

His Dad was famous for letting people down and making promises that he just couldn't keep, everyone said so.

When Simon had told his Granddad Ken that Peter was coming home he said a very delicate,

"That's lovely Si... but you must remember the roads get very busy this time of year and that if he doesn't make it, it won't be his fault."

Simon had also told his cousin Amy that his Dad was coming home and she said a very demeaning,

"Oh yeah right... I'll believe that when I see it."

Everyone who heard about Peter's return seemed to think it was all just words and Simon desperately needed his Dad to not to prove everyone right this time.

It was three pm in the afternoon when Simon was sat at home and texting to ask his Dad where he was and whilst he was doing so, his Mum Leanne had come into the living room and said,

"Listen Si… I don't want you to put all your hopes on this… I mean this is ya Dad after all." She hadn't meant it as a mean comment, she had really meant to just warn Simon but he took it the wrong way of course, like he took everything Leanne did lately.

"Why would ya say that to me?" He cried, getting up off the chair and shaking his head but he didn't give Leanne a chance to answer. He just picked up his leather bomber jacket, along with his hat and left before Leanne could say anymore.

An hour or so later and Simon was stood leaning against the wall outside the medical centre. The snow was still on the ground, it was cold and made him shiver but he didn't care. He had mooched around the street for a while before stopping at the medical centre wall and had bumped into his Aunt Eva on his way there.

"Hiya Simon… what you up to?" She asked, dressed in a big furry leopard print jacket and a matching leopard print woolly hat.

"Waiting for me Dad." Simon said, not looking at her directly because he knew that she'd be judging.

"Your Dad?" Eva asked, with a raised eyebrow and with the tone of her voice raised as well.

"Yeah." Simon said, kicking an empty can that was on the floor. "He was meant to be here at three." Eva bit her lip and had a lot that she could have said on the matter but she knew that it wouldn't help Simon's mood in the slightest so she just said,

"Well… He's probably just stuck in traffic or something." Simon looked back at his auntie in dis-belief, as she didn't even try to sound enthusiastic about his Dad actually showing up. He could tell she was thinking the same as everyone else on the matter and as she walked away he almost decided to go home and give up.

Almost...

Shortly after Simon's Aunt had walked away from him, came Carla. She was dressed all in black as usual and stopped in front of him with a warm smile on her face, one that Simon secretly missed.

"Alright Si…" she asked, with her head on one side, showing way more concern than Simon thought she should seeing as she wasn't really anything to do with him anymore.

"Yeah…" He sighed, looking down at his phone one more time before putting it into his pocket.

"You excited for Christmas tomorrow then?" She asked, watching him and sure that he wasn't being entirely truthful with her.

"Nah…" Simon lied, trying to act as if he was too mature for the whole staying up as late as he could process he used to do on Christmas Eve. He chewed his bottom lip anxiously as he stood in front of Carla and it only took her one more look before she asked,

"You sure you're alright?" Carla asked, watching his miserable expression and knowing that something was up.

"Yes." Simon replied, as Carla leant against the wall and stood next to him. "I'm just… waiting for me Dad that's all." Simon eventually said, when he knew Carla wasn't about to let up any time soon.

"Your Dad?" She said, clearly surprised by this news but not in the same sceptical way his family had been, in a more pleasant way.

"Yes… he were meant to be ere ages ago... he's staying at me Granddad's for Christmas." Simon explained, wondering how it felt for Carla to be talking to him about his Dad like this.

"Well that sounds nice…" Carla said awkwardly, she gazed around her and then back at Simon with a smile. "So how comes you're stood ere?"

"I'm meeting him ere, we're gonna get some chips and then take em back to me Granddad's." Simon explained, he watched Carla nod and guessed that she was probably thinking the same as everyone else did. "Let me guess… you don't reckon he's gonna be ere either right?"

"Oh he'll be ere." Carla nodded and there was something in her tone of voice that made Simon feel like she truly believed what she was saying.

"Really?" Simon asked, raising his eyebrows and looking at Carla.

"Yeah course." She nodded again, "He said so didn't he?"

"Well he says a lot of things... you of all people know that." Simon said, rolling his eyes before Carla shook her head.

"I do indeed but I really do believe that he'll be ere… in fact I'm sure of it." She said with a smile, she looked down at her watch and then back at an anxious Simon, she thought she should try and be supportive so she smiled brightly again and said, "I'll wait with ya if ya like."

"Really?" Simon exclaimed, watching Carla as she went and leant against the wall next to him.

"Yeah why not eh… I've got a few hours to kill." She smirked.

After a few moments of a rather companionable silence, Simon looked at Carla and said bitterly,

"Me Mum doesn't think he's coming y'know… she told me not to get my hopes up."

"Yeah well… your Mum's probably just being her normal cynical self." Carla replied then she saw the look on Simon's face, "Look... I doubt your Mum was trying to hurt you Si… she loves ya like mad… anyone can see that."

"I know." Simon sniffed, not really showing any emotion in his response, which made Carla move closer to him and say,

"Do ya though?"

"What do you mean?" he asked, a little nervously as well because by the look on Carla's face she was not impressed with his casual response.

"Well lets just say that I've heard about a few things about you and your Mum and I reckon you need to go a little easier on her… she's sacrificed a lot to bring you up and all she wants to do is keep you happy." Carla said, Simon nodded at her guiltily and took a deep breath. He wondered how much Carla knew about how he had been behaving over the past few months, he hoped she didn't know how violent he had been towards his mother and that she had just noticed his attitude instead.

"I do know… I... know she's doing her best and I'm really trying to do better." Simon said with a sad sniff.

"Good." Carla said sternly but with a smile all the same because the last thing she wanted to do was intimidate Simon.

They stood in another small silence as Simon got his phone out of his pocket to check the time. He saw that it was now almost half past four and that his Dad was an hour and a half late.

"He'll be ere Si… I know him being this late doesn't look this good and I'm sure when he gets ere he'll ave some ridiculous story behind it all but I'm telling ya he _will_ get ere… I promise." Carla said, watching Simon as he checked the time.

"Thanks Carla." he smiled, licking his lips nervously as she turned to him and said,

"Can... I ask ya something?"

"Yeah…" he answered curiously.

"Is it true that ya Dad doesn't want to see me?" Carla said, surprising Simon because he genuinely had no idea that she knew about his Dad's reluctance to stay away from Coronation Street.

"Errrr…" Simon gulped, wondering what to say as Carla chuckled at him.

"Eva told Aidan n Aidan told me." She explained, "So… go on then… is it true?"

"Yeah… that's why he didn't come with me when I got back from Portsmouth last month... he didn't want to bump into you... he says it'll be… awkward." Simon said with an eyebrow raised.

"Awkward…" Carla repeated, as if she had misheard him or something.

"Yeah… I mean seeing you for the first time since he left… it's bound to be a bit hard for him." Simon said, suddenly sympathising with his Dad and feeling glad that he wasn't in the same situation. "And you too..." Simon added.

"Well…" she coughed, "I guess it's a good thing that I'm sticking around ere until he arrives then... I'm mean that way we'll get the awkwardness over n done with won't we?"

"I guess." Simon said, holding in a laugh because it looked like Carla wanted to stick around for more then that, it sounded like she actually wanted to see his Dad after all.

"What?" Carla asked, looking at an amused Simon sideways.

"Nothing…" He laughed, "Can... I ask you something now?" Carla nodded at him although she new that it wasn't nothing and that Simon seemed to be onto her curiousness to see Peter again. "Who told you about me and me Mum? Was it Aidan? Did Eva tell him that too?" he asked, detesting the idea of people gossiping about him like that.

"No course not… it were… Nick." Carla explained softly.

"Oh… yeah… I... forgot about you and Nick." Simon sighed, "It's kind weird for me to be honest…" He looked down at his hands, which were in a pair of black gloves due to the cold as Carla nudged him in the side with her elbow.

"Weird?" she asked, not quite getting where Simon was coming from at first.

"Yeah… I mean my StepMum marrying my StepDad… it's weird." Simon said, making Carla suddenly feel very uncomfortable about things because she hadn't actually thought about it in that way, she had been so caught up in happiness she hadn't let herself think about how her relationship with Nick had affected other people, especially Simon.

"Wow... I hadn't thought about it like that." Carla begun as Simon sighed heavily and looked down again. "What?"

"I wish... I just wish you were still with my Dad." Simon mumbled, knowing how crazy that sounded when he used to treat Carla like dirt.

"Really?" Carla exclaimed, taken aback by Simon's words because he had always made it clear that he never wanted her and his Dad together.

"Yeah… I know... I know I was horrible to you when you were together but I now realise that you made my Dad so happy... you were both really good together." Simon said, he watched as Carla looked down at her feet and realised that he had made her feel a little awkward. "Sorry Carla… I shouldn't be saying stuff like that… about you n Nick... I know you're really happy now."

There was now an uncomfortable moment of quietness between Carla and Simon whilst they both reminisced about the old days. Carla thought about how happy she was now compared to how happy she was with Peter, whilst Simon tried to imagine how he'd feel if his Dad and Carla were still an item.

He imagined he'd be happy, content and that he wouldn't be so angry all the time. He would have a proper little family and maybe even a little sister too. The thought of what he could have had with Carla and his Dad made him almost tear up, he sniffed hard and tried not to cry as Carla couldn't take the silence anymore and asked,

"Is… your... Dad happy? I mean... I hear he has a girlfriend..." Simon looked up in surprise as Carla nodded and said, "That one actually was Eva."

"Yeah… he's happy I spose... but there's a look about him."

"A look?" Carla asked, confused.

"Yeah... It's something I can't quite put my finger on but I think it's a look of sadness… the same one he had when he left." Simon explained, he watched as Carla nodded slowly, she didn't respond at first but then she started talking about Christmas instead, obviously wanting to get off the subject of his Dad.

They spoke for another twenty minutes or so when Simon shook his head and stopped leaning against the wall.

"That's it… I've had enough!" He cried, stamping his foot childishly and folding his arms.

"Si…" Carla said, standing upright and not wanting Simon to give up on his Dad.

"Carla he's almost two hours late… he's obviously not coming." Simon sighed,

"Yes he is… Simon this is your Dad and he is never on time for anything unless there is someone there to constantly badger him about it... I'm telling you kid, he'll be here." Carla insisted, pulling Simon towards her and making him stand against the wall again.

"Carla…" Simon said quietly, "Do you hate me Dad?" he asked, watching her closely as she turned towards him.

"No… course not." She replied, "I'll never get over what he did to me… never... but I don't hate him... In fact a part of me will always love..." She trailed off as her cheeks went slightly pink. Simon smiled at her and knew exactly what she was about to say so he didn't have to ask her to continue. He was too busy watching her to see who was walking towards them in the distance. He watched a smile creep onto Carla's face as she then said, "Well well, talk of the devil." She nodded ahead of them and sure enough there was Peter.

He was smiling, albeit a little nervously because Carla was there and he hadn't been expecting it. He had seen her stood with Simon in the distance and had thought about doing a quick runner for a second but of course seeing his son was more important so he swallowed his pride and made his way towards them anyway.

"Dad!" Simon cried, excitedly running towards his Dad and throwing his arms around his middle.

"Merry Christmas Simon." Said Peter, squeezing his son tight as Carla started to slowly walk towards them.

"I'm so glad you're ere Dad." Simon said into his Dad's chest, taking in his familiar scent and feeling stupid for doubting him.

"Me too… I'm so sorry about being so late."

"It doesn't matter…" Simon grinned, "What else did I expect from you eh?" Peter chuckled as he let go of his son but he stopped laughing when Carla stopped in front of them. She smiled smugly at Simon before looking directly at Peter, who was still grinning and not letting how nervous he was about the situation show.

His throat had literally gone dry at being in the presence of his estranged wife and he couldn't seem to find the right words to say a simple hello but little did he know that Carla was nervous too.

She hadn't ever imagined that she could feel this way when being stood in front of Peter but she did, although she didn't let it show either, instead she just smirked at him and said,

"See… that weren't so awkward after all was it?" She then began walking away but she couldn't stop herself from turning back and looking at Peter... Simon too but mostly at Peter, who winked at her cheekily and said,

"Merry Christmas Carla." Carla shook her head with a broad smile on her face and then said,

"Back at ya Barlow."

Carla and Peter both had one last moment of irresistible eye contact before their gaze separated from one another's. Peter put his arm around Simon whilst Carla headed towards home and as she got further and further away from them, Peter looked down at Simon and said a cheery,

"Right… let's get some dinner eh?"


End file.
